A Garfield Christmas

A Garfield Christmas is the sixth half-hour animated special based on the Garfield comic strip. It features the voice and music talent that is common in Garfield animated specials including Lorenzo Music (the voice of Garfield) and Lou Rawls (provides the songs). The special premiered in 1987. A Garfield Christmas has earned a place in the Christmas television special canon and has enjoyed traditional holiday-time airings (by the former distributor of Garfield television specials, CBS) since its premiere, through the late-1990s.

Storyline

On Christmas Eve, Garfield, Jon, and Odie travel to the countryside to celebrate Christmas with Jon's farm family. Making their animated debuts are the sweet and always cooking Mom, hard working farmer Dad, mischievous younger brother Doc Boy and the tough as nails Grandma. As we get to know the wacky members of Jon's family, Odie is busy working on something secretive. Grandma and Garfield eventually grow a special bond. That night Garfield finds out about Odie's suspicious activity and follows him into the barn while there he stumbles upon some old letters. The next morning is Christmas and just when it seems like all the presents have been opened Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her late husband from when they first met and courted. Garfield finds out that Odie had been busy making Garfield the ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. As it happens, Odie is unable to make it, giving up in frustration; Garfield secretly completes the project in Odie's absence and the dog treats it as a Christmas miracle while Garfield plays along when he receives it.

The special closes with one of the most memorable lines in Christmas television special history as Garfield quotes: "Christmas...it's not the getting. It's not giving... It's the loving. There, I said it. Now get outta here."

Songs in A Garfield Christmas

• "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" performed by Lou Rawls
• "Can't Wait Till Christmas" performed by Thom Huge and Lorenzo Music
• "O Christmas Tree" performed by Pat Carroll
• "Christmas in Your Heart" performed by ensemble and Desirée Goyette
• "You Can Never Find an Elf When You Need One" performed by Lou Rawls and Desirée Goyette
• "A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas" (ending song) performed by ensemble

This special is available on the Garfield: Holiday Celebrations DVD.

Trivia

• When this special first aired in 1987, the piano gathering scene was not featured (like it was in the book version). Around 1991, that scene was added to the special. Doc Boy attempts to play the piano & sing O Christmas Tree (which he does poorly), until Grandma knocks him off the piano bench. She then plays a jazzy rendition of the carol, ending it with scat singing ("Boop-boop-dee-boop!"). This version of the special appears on the DVD.